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Tuesday, February 28, 2017

I am launching a second program, Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, a half hour music
variety program, on March 2 on WBCQ, 7490 kHz. It will be a combination of
Americana, World Music, Comedy, Novelty, and I will do my best to ensure that
it will be one of the most musically eclectic programs on any band along with a
few laughs here and there.

Tilford Productions, which brings you From the Isle of Music, is launching a
second program, Uncle Bill's Melting Pot, a half-hour musical variety program on
WBCQ 7490 KHz perhaps best described as indescribable, or as host Bill Tilford
states, "from the ridiculously sublime to the sublimely ridiculous with genres
from A-Z".The inaugural broadcast is Friday, March 3, 0000-0030 World
Date/UTC(Thursday, March 2, 7:00pm-7:30pm EST in North America)
Bill Tilford, Producer and Host
From
the Isle of Music
Uncle Bill's Melting Pot

Monday, February 27, 2017

The just-concluded run of ionospheric investigations conducted from Alaska’s High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) observatory — quite likely the most powerful HF transmission facility in the world — revived the latent short-wave listener (SWL) lurking within most radio amateurs. Operating under Part 5 Experimental license WI2XFX, HAARP this month even aired some classical music as it conducted its first scientific research campaign since being taken over 18 months ago from the military by the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Geophysical Institute.
UAF Space Physics Group Assistant Research Professor Chris Fallen, KL3WX, focused on two experiments — one called “airglow” that literally aimed to light up the ionosphere, and another to demonstrate the so-called “Luxembourg Effect,” first noticed on a 1930s Radio Luxembourg broadcast. Public engagement was part of his plan, and Fallen this week said the Twitter and e-mail feedback from his transmissions had been “fantastic,” and that his science campaign had become “quite an event.”
“Thank you for making a difference and advancing Amateur Radio as well,” Doug Howard, VE6CID, tweeted. Another Twitter follower enthused, “You’re running the coolest DX station in the world.” Fallen said he also received “a lot of great waterfalls,” as well as video and audio recordings from hams and SWLs.
Fallen started and stopped each experiment block with DTMF tones, transmitted in AM on or about 2.8 and 3.3 MHz, each channel fed with audio tones of different frequencies or, in the case of music, as a separate stereo channel. If the “Luxembourg Effect” is present, skywave-signal listeners would hear both channels combined on a single frequency; Fallen said the effect is easier to detect with tones. In addition to tones, he transmitted “a ‘dance track,’ a Pachelbel Canon arrangement, and a variation of ‘Row, Row, Row Your Boat.’” Jeff Dumps, KL4IU, composed some of the music, and he arranged and performed all of it.
The CW “airglow” artificial aurora experiment followed the Luxembourg Effect transmissions. All week, Fallen despaired that the “ratty” ionosphere and cloud cover were diminishing his hopes for success with the artificial aurora experiments. But on the last night, he tweeted, “Seeing artificial airglow with the spectrometer. Film at 11.”
Fallen is now evaluating the results of his HAARP efforts. He said one listener posted “a most excellent” YouTube clip. He was not specific; several have been posted that document this week's experiments, including this one from Stephen Oleson, VE6SLP. Laurence Howell, KL7L, in Wasilla, Alaska, posted an audio file.
“The miracle of crowd sourcing!” Fallen said. “If only the Luxembourg Effect was more pronounced, but it is in the 3,300 kHz recording.”
Fallen has been working under a $60,000 National Science Foundation grant. “During campaigns, significant expenditures for fuel and personnel are required,” the grant abstract said. “Large start-up costs make HAARP experiments largely inaccessible to individual researchers unless multiple experiments and funding sources can be bundled together during a campaign of up to two-week duration.” According to the abstract, public participation would maximize “the broader impacts of the investigations.”
“HAARP again...perhaps sometime this summer!” Fallen tweeted on February 23. He has posted additional information on his “Gakona HAARPoon 2017” blog.
(Mike Terry/BDXC)http://www.arrl.org/news/haarp-goes-classical-during-new-experimental-campaign
(photo/ARRL)

If you need a current stamp list or supply list, I can email it to you.

NEWS: Am hoping to acquire higher values to bring back 49c in 2 stamps. If that happens, I will make a special emailing to all. NOTE!!!! Discount postage prices at 100 qty. have been adjusted upwards a bit...a nice way to say increased. STILL a great deal!!

NEW RATES:
Argentina now $63 for 20 gram letter
Peru now 9,70 s
Russia now 40 Rb, up from 35 Rb.
Costa Rica still $600. A few customers mentioned $665 rate...the extra $65 was a charity surcharge for a children's fund around Christmas time: "sobretasa para los Niños" A few countries do this from time to time: Serbia is one. Cyprus is constant with their Refugee stamp.

Solar activity was at very low levels on 20-21 and 25-26 Feb with low levels observed on 22-24 Feb. Region 2638 (N19, L=111, class/area Dso/150 on 22 Feb) produced three C-class flares, one each on 22-24 Feb. The largest of these was a C4/1f flare observed on 22/1327 UTC. Several weak CMEs were observed during the period, but none of them had an Earth-directed component.

No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit was at moderate levels on 20, 22-24 and 26 Feb. High levels were observed on 21 and 25 Feb.

Geomagnetic field activity was at predominately quiet to active levels with an isolated minor storm (G1-Minor) interval early on 24 Feb. Quiet to unsettled levels were observed on 20-21 and 25-26 Feb under a nominal solar wind regime. Quiet to isolated G1 levels were observed on 22-24 Feb under the influence of a positive polarity CH HSS. Solar wind speeds reached a peak of 671 km/s at 24/0516 UTC. Total field (Bt) reached a peak of near 12 nT late on 23 Feb while the Bz component reached a maximum southward extent of -10 nT, again late on 23 Feb. Phi angle was in a predominately positive solar sector throughout the summary period.

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 27 February - 25 March 2017

Solar activity is expected to be at very low levels with a chance for isolated C-class activity during the outlook period.

No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at high levels on 27 Feb, 01-13, 19-20 and 24-25 Mar. Normal to moderate levels are expected on 28 Feb, 14-18 and 21-23 Mar.

Geomagnetic field activity is likely to be reach G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm levels on 01-02 and 16 Mar due to recurrent CH HSS influence. Unsettled to active geomagnetic field activity is expected on 28 Feb, 03-04, 15, 17-19 and 21-24 Mar due to CH HSS influence. Mostly quiet conditions are expected for the remainder of the period under a nominal solar wind regime.

Friday, February 24, 2017

During the month of January, work began on the removal of 500 antenna poles from the marshy property of what was at one stage, one of the world’s best known maritime radio communication stations. This station was on the air under the famous historic callsign WOO; its shortwave signal was heard almost worldwide; during the horrendous years of World War 2 it was an important relay station for the programming of the Voice of America; and the removal of the antenna poles seems to be the final indignity for a shortwave radio station whose story should be honored and memorialized, not buried in the forgotten events of the past.And before we penetrate into the long and illustrious history of this mighty shortwave station, we express appreciation to Ray Robinson, who is serving at the modern Gospel shortwave station KVOH on the edge of Los Angeles. Thank you Ray, for alerting us to the news about this closing episode in the history of the illustrious AT&T maritime shortwave station WOO at Ocean Gate in coastal New Jersey. Let’s go back now to the beginning. The 70 historic years of international radio service rendered by this AT&T communication station at Ocean Gate, on the edge of the Atlantic coast in New Jersey, encompass the experimental years of shortwave development, the rise of shortwave coverage to an international high, and into the era that many people today wrongfully see as the downward slope in the continuing capability of international shortwave coverage. It was back in the year 1929, that AT&T procured a large tract of land, 175 acres of salt water marsh on the water front at Good Luck Point, on the southern side of the mouth of the Tom’s River, opposite Long Beach Island. This unassuming property on the Atlantic coastline some fifty miles south of New York City was procured for the purpose of installing a large maritime transmitter station. The average elevation at this Ocean Gate property was just eighteen inches above high water, and so deep drainage pipes were inserted below ground level, entirely surrounding the three storeyed transmitter building. The original electronic facilities installed at Ocean Gate included a 15 kW shortwave transmitter together with two curtain antennas seventy feet high. The primary callsign at this new shortwave station has always been WOO, though this call was actually transferred from an even earlier and smaller shortwave station operated by AT&T at nearby Deal Beach, also on the New Jersey coastline. As was the confusing custom in those days, over the years an additional cluster of callsigns was also employed at Ocean Gate, for the identification of each transmitter as well as for the identification of each shortwave channel. These additional callsigns were usually in the form of three letters, in the series beginning with WD and WO, such as for example WOA and WOZ, WDI and WDL.The main transmitter building at Ocean Gate was three stories high, including a small basement which provided heating for the interior of the building. Several of the antenna systems were installed on nearby marshy areas, some of which might be described as low tidal islands.The ground floor contained the heavy electrical equipment such as power generators and huge transformers. Thick cork padding was used under the generating machinery in order to dampen the heavy vibrations.The top floor of the building housed the transmitters and the line switching, from the 20 mile distant receiver station and to the antenna systems. Over the years, new transmitters were installed in this station, and older ones were removed. Radio station WOO at AT&T Ocean Gate New Jersey was commissioned in 1930 with some excellent publicity in the local newspaper about this new international communication station. The initial purpose for Ocean Gate Radio was for contact with Atlantic shipping, and for communication with land-based stations in Europe and South America.Although this large and impressive shortwave station was erected primarily for commercial communication purposes, yet beginning in the year 1933, it was noted on the air on several occasions with broadcast programming intended for mediumwave relay in Europe and Latin America. During the strident war years, WOO Ocean Gate Radio was also in use by OWI, the Office of War Information, for the relay of VOA Voice of America programming to Europe, South America, and the South Pacific. Initially, the receiver station for WOO Ocean Gate was the already established station located at Forked River, just ten miles south of Ocean Gate itself. A new receiver station was constructed at Manahawkin on the coastline, ten miles further south below Forked River. and when this new station was activated soon afterwards, the Forked River station was closed.It was in May 1942, that a daily four hour service of VOA programming for Australia and the South Pacific was implemented at Ocean Gate Radio, over two outlets, channel callsigns WOJ and WOK. During the following two years, a total of ten known shortwave channels and callsigns were noted on air with the relay of VOA programming for direct reception, and also for onward relay by radio stations located in North Africa and in England. Signal strength from Ocean Gate Radio as heard in Australia and New Zealand was often described as at a good level. It is probable that all of these transmissions were made at a power output of 20 kW.For example, on several occasions station WOO was noted on 12840 kHz with a relay of VOA programming in parallel with WGEO in Schenectady New York. Then, Ocean Gate Radio WOO9 was noted with a VOA relay on 8660 kHz in parallel with the 35 kW NBC shortwave station WNBI at Bound Brook, also in New Jersey. Foreign language programming was noted in Spanish on channel callsign WOK on 10555 kHz, and in French on channel callsign WOO4 on 8760 kHz. There was also a daily three hour session of news bulletins in several languages noted on 9750 kHz under the callsign WDL. The Australian magazine Radio and Hobbies states that the final known VOA broadcasts from Ocean Gate Radio were on the air in January 1944. At that time, these transmissions were radiated under the callsign WDI on 5052 kHz. However, WOO Ocean Gate still remained in continuous use for several more years as an American terminal for international phone calls from many different countries and from ships at sea. In the mid 1950s, the large array of curtain antennas was removed and replaced with a series of twenty nine rhombic antennas. By the time the station was closed more than forty years later again, the facility contained a bevy of transmitters rated at 10 kW, and perhaps also one at 50 kW. When additional undersea cables were subsequently laid between Europe and North America, and when satellite communication became available, AT&T Ocean Gate Radio was no longer needed. The original date for the closure of the Ocean Gate station was announced as February 28, 1999, and after a couple of postponements, the station was finally closed on November 9 of that same year, 1999.These days, the Ocean Gate property is now a wildlife refuge owned by the United States Fish & Wildlife Service, and the large transmitter building, abandoned, derelict and vandalized, is owned by the local city government. When the wooden poles that supported the rhombic antennas are removed, the property returns to its original state as a marshy refuge for migratory birds. WOO Radio? Yes, gone, and forgotten!During the time of its on air usage as a relay station for the Voice of America, as far as is known, no QSLs were ever issued. However, during the final twenty or thirty years of its on air service as a shortwave communication station, many QSL cards were issued on behalf of AT&T-Bell Ocean Gate Radio, WOO. These AT&T QSL cards were all oversized postcards, carrying the AT&T and& Bell logos on the address side. One of their QSL cards showed a map of the world on the other side, with all of the many AT&T locations marked. These QSL cards from Ocean Gate Radio WOO were usually posted from the AT&T receiver station at Manahawkin in New Jersey.
(AWR-Wavescan/NWS 417)

With reception conditions
apparently improving, we will take a chance with MFSK64 (240 wpm) for one of our
news stories this weekend.

But if reception conditions are
poor, we will also transmit one story in MFSK16 (58 wpm). Tuning for MFSK16
needs to be precise, so if the RSID does not work, I precede it with a 10-second
tuning signal.

So this will be a weekend to
compare MFSK16, 32, and 64, including one image transmitted in both MFSK64 and
32, and another image transmitted in both MFSK16 and 32.

Here is the lineup for VOA
Radiogram, program 204, 25-26 February
2017, all in MFSK with baud rates as noted:

Winter SWL
Fest.
I am planning to attend the Winter SWL Fest, March 2-4, 2017, at Plymouth
Meeting, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. Hope to see you there. Information at
http://www.swlfest.com .
(Single-day walk-ins are welcome.)

Thanks for your reports. I
will try to respond to program 203 reports this weekend.

Twitter: @VOARadiogram
(especially active just before, during, and after
broadcasts)

PS: A few
operating notes:

For best Olivia 64-2000 performance, turn Fldigi's
squelch (SQL) off.

The RSID at 1500 Hz sometimes mixes with the transmitter
hum, most noticeable at 360 Hz, to move your receive audio frequency down to
1140 Hz, resulting in no decode. To prevent this, in Fldigi: Configure > IDs
> RsID > unselect Searches passband. Your center audio frequency
will wander no more than +/- 200 Hz.

Fldigi automatically saves your decoded MFSK images as
png files in the folder \fldigi.files\images\ (in Windows; folder names might be
different with other operating systems). You can attach those png files with
your reception report.

The VOA Radiogram Twitter account @VOARadiogram is
especially active before, during, and after the broadcasts. You don't need a
Twitter account: just go to https://twitter.com/voaradiogram and refresh it
occasionally.

The following is of special interest to DXers in Russia and neighboring
countries:

On Sunday, February 26, from 1500-1600 UTC,From the Isle of Music, a
program dedicated to Cuban music, will be broadcast in a special test
transmission on shortwave using Spaceline, 9400 kHz, from Kostinbrod, Bulgaria
using an array especially suited for reception in Russia. If the test and a
subsequent one are successful, we may use this to improve access to the program
for listeners in Russia and neighboring countries.

We will be continuing on Channel 292 and WBCQ for their target areas regardless
of the outcome of the tests on Spaceline.

I will be monitoring an SDR
near Moscow but would appreciate any and all reception reports.

Notes: The table shows the current
satellite / online schedule.
1296 kHz continues to be announced as
terrestrial freq in the various
language services, but the current use of the
MW tx has still to be
confirmed. Taken from

Ethiopia
EBC Radio Fana 6110. Tune-in 1850. Conversations among announcers. ISWBG Winter B16 edition, list languages at this time as Afar, Amharic, and ethnics to China Radio Internaitonal sign-on at 1900 on 6100eu6110eu, 7245eu. Interval signal to sign-on ID and Russian newscast.(GVH)

Ethiopia
Radio Oromiya 6030, 1904. Horn of Africa musical vocals at tune-in. ISWBG B16 winter edition, list languages as Amharic, English and Oromo. HOA music to 1909. Three minutes brief announcements, to HOA style music with vocals. SIO 323. (GVH) Amhara State Radio from Addis Ababa on 6090 at 0352. Amharic service with talks with fair signal and slight to moderate interference by Caribbean Beacon on 6090 English religious teachings. SINPO 33432 (Xavier).

France
Radio France International 9790, 11995, 13790, 15350 with French features from 1935 tune-in (possibly a sports commentary). Not heard on // 13695 or 17850 kHz. (R Pearson, FL) 9790, at 2058. Two announcer's with French comments to sign-off at 2059. (Harold Sellers, BC Canada)

France
RTA Algerienne via Issoudun, 11660. French announcements from 1805 to Arabic Qur'an 1819-1840. Arabic text to 1849, and Arabic music vocals to 1858. Poor copy but routine followed a news headlines style. Switched to 9870 kHz at 1900. No French news bulletin as listed, instead Arabic vocals to 1904, followed by French. Back to Arabic at 1913 with Qur'an. Freq 11660 fair-poor signal quality (SIO 232) 9810 SIO 323) Shifted to 9710 in Arabic at 1958. Arabic service still audible on 9710 at 2045 recheck (GVH).

Guinea
Radio Guinea, Conakri on 9650 at 1020 with local vernacular talks to woman's comments and station ID. Transmission with slight interference by Voice of Korea on 9650kHz, at 1029 with interval signal and national anthem. SINPO 44433 (Xavier).

India
All India Radio via Bangalore in English on 13605 at 1048. Indian music to talks and station ID. Postal P.O Box quote and bits of song "Fernando." Time pips to sign-off for poor quality transmission. SINPO 35432. Noted on 13640 at 1937 via Bangalore, in Arabic. Arabic songs to announcer's talk to 1945 interval signal. French service from 1945 with ID and music. Good signal and fair modulation. SINPO 45433. All India Radio also noted on 15410 at 0115 via Panaji (Goa) in Thai language. Interval signal to announcer's talks and Indian music. Transmission barely audible and sometimes very poor. SINPO 25331 to 25332 (Xavier).

All India Radio via Gangtok (Sikkim) on 4835. Unusually good propagation, the best reception I have ever had here. Noted at 1508 with subcontinent music. Switch at 1512 switch over to audio feed from New Delhi, starting with tone. Singing ads in Hindi. Tone signal at 1515 before news in Hindi. (Ron Howard, CA/DX-India)

Mali
Radio Mali, Bamako, 5995 at 0718-0736 in French. Program comments and music. SINPO 14321. Radio Mali, Bamako, 9635 at *0759-0815. Tuning music to French station ID as "Içi Radio Mali emettant du Bamako ...." Program comments. SINPO 14321. (Méndez

New Zealand
Radio New Zealand International, Rangitaiki, in English. Audible on 15710 at 0400. Time pips to lady announcer's talks and station ID. Very poor signal. SINPO 25432, sometimes as 35432 (Xavier).

Tanzania
ZBC Radio 11735 at 2030. Swahili service with announcer's two phone calls to local indigenous music. God signal quality. (Sellers) Noted on 6015 at 0334. Lady announcer's text, joined by male's concersation. Transmission with interference as presumably jamming. SINPO 43332 (Xavier).

Turkey
Voice of Turkey on 9650 at 0226. Spanish talks to newscast. Program "Las Fortalezas de Turquía": hoy, sobre la Fortaleza de Alania; Everything about a monument. "La Pregunta del Més" at 0237, and at 0240 Música Turca" program with good signal and modulation. SINPO 45544 (Xavier).

USA
9955. Feb 21 at 2330, Hobart Radio International relay via WRMI Okeechobee, Florida on 9955 at 2330. English programming with ID and talks and music. Fair signal quality with SINPO 35433 (Xavier).

Monday, February 20, 2017

Radio Öömrang (“Radio Amrum”) is tentatively scheduled for their annual February 21st broadcast. Each year, on this special day, broadcast are conducted to celebrate the major North Frisian holiday (Biikebrånen).

The initial programs were founded by radio amateur Arjan Kölzow on the island of Amrum in North Germany. The first shortwave broadcast was on 21 February 2006, and have continued their annual programming aimed at the descendants of North Frisian immigrants in North America. Programming is presented bilingually in Standard German and English, including interviews in the North Frisian language, which is part of the Öömrang dialect.

Solar activity was at very low levels with only weak background flare activity observed. An 11 degree long filament eruption, centered near N08E02, was observed in SDO/AIA 193 imagery beginning around 19/0525 UTC. A faint CME was observed off the NE limb, observed in LASCO C2 imagery, at around 19/0648 UTC. WSA-Enlil analysis indicated a possible glancing blow at Earth mid to late on 22 Feb. No other activity was observed.

No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit reached high levels on 13-14 Feb with moderate levels observed on 15-19 Feb.

Geomagnetic field activity was at quiet levels on 13-15 Feb, quiet to isolated unsettled to active levels on 16 Feb, quiet to active levels on 17-18 Feb and quiet to unsettled levels on 19 Feb. A recurrent, positive polarity coronal hole high speed stream (CH HSS) became geoeffective early on 17 Feb affecting the geomagnetic field through late on 19 Feb. During this period, solar wind speeds
generally ranged from 500-600 km/s, total field Bt peaked at 13 nT early on 17 Feb while the Bz component reached a maximum southward extent of -8 nT early on 17 Feb. Phi angle was in a predominately positive orientation.

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 20 February - 18 March 2017

Solar activity is expected to be at very low levels with a chance for isolated C-class activity throughout the period.

No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at high levels on 20-27 Feb and 01-13 Mar. Normal to moderate levels are expected for the remainder of the outlook period.

Geomagnetic field activity is expected to reach G2 (Moderate) geomagnetic storm levels on 28 Feb and G1 (Minor) storm levels on 24 Feb, 01-02 Mar and again on 16 Mar due to recurrent CH HSS influence. Active geomagnetic field activity is expected on 23 and 25 Feb, 03-05 Mar and 17 Mar due to CH HSS influence. Isolated active conditions are likely on 22 Feb due to a glancing blow from the 19 Feb CME. Quiet to unsettled activity is expected for the remainder of the period under a nominal solar wind regime.

Friday, February 17, 2017

The broadcaster hopes to use its vast radio archives to attract more listeners
by James Careless

OTTAWA — Nothing less than “a Netflix of the spoken word”: That is what BBC Director-General Lord Tony Hall promised on Nov. 23, 2016, when he announced the BBC’s plans to offer its full archive of audio content to online listeners around the world.

“The BBC makes the best radio in the world ... and we have an extraordinary wealth of audio riches at our disposal,” said Lord Hall during his keynote address to the Voice of the Listener and Viewer Autumn Conference in London. With our world-class content, we could use our current output and the richness of our archive to create a Netflix of the spoken word. It’s one of the things that will help the BBC carry the full weight of Britain’s culture and values, knowledge and know-how to the world in the years ahead — and say something really important about modern Britain.”

Last weekend, we marked World
Radio Day with a malfunction of the radio transmitter on 17580 kHz, during the
time that the World Radio Day logo should have been broadcast. Other than that,
we had a good weekend of reception and decoding!

This weekend, we will again
transmit an excerpt of text in a non-Latin Alphabet. This time it will be
Ukrainian. Use the UTF-8 character set, which, in Fldigi, you can adjust (if
necessary) via Configure > Colors & Fonts.

Here is the lineup for VOA
Radiogram, program 203, 18-19 February
2017, all in MFSK32 except where noted:

Winter SWL
Fest.
I am planning to attend the Winter SWL Fest, March 2-4, 2017, at Plymouth
Meeting, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. Hope to see you there. Information at
http://www.swlfest.com .
(Single-day walk-ins are welcome.)

Thanks for your reports from
last weekend. I am now sending out confirmations from program 201, with hopes
to send out confirmations from program 202 during this
weekend.

Twitter: @VOARadiogram
(especially active just before, during, and after
broadcasts)

PS: A few
operating notes:

For best Olivia 64-2000 performance, turn Fldigi's
squelch (SQL) off.

The RSID at 1500 Hz sometimes mixes with the transmitter
hum, most noticeable at 360 Hz, to move your receive audio frequency down to
1140 Hz, resulting in no decode. To prevent this, in Fldigi: Configure > IDs
> RsID > unselect Searches passband. Your center audio frequency
will wander no more than +/- 200 Hz.

Fldigi automatically saves your decoded MFSK images as
png files in the folder \fldigi.files\images\ (in Windows; folder names might be
different with other operating systems). You can attach those png files with
your reception report.

The VOA Radiogram Twitter account @VOARadiogram is
especially active before, during, and after the broadcasts. You don't need a
Twitter account: just go to https://twitter.com/voaradiogram and refresh it
occasionally.